Should anorexics be force-fed?

[buttons]

In September 2014, an anorexic women (with anorexia being defined as "an eating disorder in which people keep their body weight as low as possible") fought for her "right" to not be force-fed. She argued she was not in a state of mind to receive the treatment, stating that it would lead to a potential suicide risk, despite the fact she would die without the treatment.

Indeed, one could argue that it is a person's right to reject treatment as much as it is their right to seek it. On the other hand, a doctor's job is to keep their patient alive, thus many feel compelled to help them.

Currently, anorexics can be force fed under Part IV of the Mental Health Act (1983).

Do you think this law should continue? And under what circumstances?



As always, I have provided some list of arguments to help you decide:


ARGUMENTS FOR FORCE-FEEDING:
- Malnutrition has been found to impair logical thinking, therefore the anorexic sufferer may be unable to make the correct decisions. Thus, intervention to increase their nutrition may be required to allow them to make "better" decisions about their treatments.
- Anorexics need to stay alive in order to receive further treatment, thus may need to be forced to eat before the problem can be tackled.


ARGUMENTS AGAINST FORCE-FEEDING
- Force-feeding against a persons will violates their human rights. People should have the right to refuse and should have to give consent.
- Force-feeding is only a temporary fix for an underlying problem.
- Forcing an anorexic to eat, therefore gaining weight, may create further psychological stress and thus increase their suicidal risk.

The debate is now up to you! Good contributions will be rewarded with reputation throughout the thread and the member who makes the best contributions throughout the month will win the Debater of the Month award, 2 weeks VIP, as well as 250 tokens. Creating interesting member debates will also win you reputation/tokens!

[Darien]

People have the right to live their lives as they chose.
BOOM I WIN.

[Jake]

Tbh as someone who suffered with an eating disorder when i was younger I genuinely didn't know rhat you could be force fed. In all honesty though i disagree with the fact that you can be forcefed, ultimately it should be up to the person who has anorexia. If they feel the need and reasoning behind what they are doing is strong enough then who is everyone else to tell them no! i really can't explain what i mean well enough so if i remember i will write a detailed post later when i get home from work and not from my iphone

[Evanora]

People have the right to live their lives as they chose.
BOOM I WIN.

so should someone have the right to go out and murder a child, if that's the life they choose?

[Darien]

Re-read what I said very carefully.

"People have the right to live their lives as they choose."

I did not say "people have the right to live others lives."

When you live your own life; it is not physically interfering with anyone elses, in theory.

[Evanora]

When you live your own life; it is not physically interfering with anyone elses, in theory.

1 individual refusing to eat is interfering with the lives of anybody who cares about them

[Darien]

Lol, very indirectly... Well; do you think you should be told what makeup to wear? How to wear your hair? If you are or are not allowed to drive? Where you're allowed to go? Who you're allowed to see? These all have an affect on those around you. Is it your job to determine how THEY live THEIR lives? No. Just like they shouldn't do so to you.

Should you offer to help them seek help, guidance, understanding? Of course.. That's not the same as shoving something down someones throat without their consent.. That's RAPE.


rape1
[reyp]
Spell Syllables
Examples Word Origin
noun
1.
unlawful sexual intercourse or any other penetration of the vagina, anus, or mouth of another person, with or without force, by a sex organ, other body part, or foreign object, without the consent of the victim.


Let me pose you another question;

Should un-wed mothers, or in that case; mothers with many kids, or just mothers in general; be forced to abort their children if someone besides the mother or father think they should?

[Evanora]

Lol, very indirectly... Well; do you think you should be told what makeup to wear? How to wear your hair? If you are or are not allowed to drive? Where you're allowed to go? Who you're allowed to see? These all have an affect on those around you. Is it your job to determine how THEY live THEIR lives? No. Just like they shouldn't do so to you.

Should you offer to help them seek help, guidance, understanding? Of course.. That's not the same as shoving something down someones throat without their consent.. That's RAPE.
[/B]

the things you listed aren't going to end in my death though so it's an unfair comparison

of course it's not rape, did you miss the part of that definition which said 'sexual'? also, force feeding of somebody with a mental disorder isn't often shoved down their throat.. it's through a drip so they get necessary nutrients

[Darien]

It's called a hyperbole; for the sake of argument you use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device. It's about YOU making decisions about SOMEONE ELSES BODY.

Also; perhaps you should re-read the definition.. It has more than one part; let me emphasis for you.

"or any other penetration"

and break it down.

penetration

pen·e·tra·tion
ˌpenəˈtrāSH(ə)n/
noun
1.
the action or process of making a way through or into something.

...............

Should we force drug addicts to take Meth?

...............

Also; driving could result in your death. Hence why I added that comparison.

[Evanora]

It's called a hyperbole; for the sake of argument you use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device. It's about YOU making decisions about SOMEONE ELSES BODY.

yes, because they aren't able to make rational decisions themselves?